Cubs send Carpenter to Red Sox as compensation for Epstein

Player to be named also involved in drawn-out ordeal

February 21, 2012|By Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune reporter

MESA, Ariz. — Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington compared the Theo Epstein compensation issue to "cleaning out the garage" in early December, suggesting it was something you knew had to be done but would "find anything under the sun" to do instead.

Hearing that remark, Epstein immediately called his former underling and facetiously offered two bags of ice melt and an old rake for himself.

It took a little more than garage junk to pay the Red Sox for allowing Epstein out of his contract a year early for a promotion with the Cubs, but the four-month saga finally saw some closure Tuesday when pitching prospect Chris Carpenter was sent to Boston in a 2-for-1 trade.

The other two players, who will be named later, are expected to be low-level prospects, making Carpenter-for-Epstein the main swap. The Cubs hope it will be remembered as long as Brock-for-Broglio, but with a different outcome for them.

"I guess my name will go down in history," Carpenter said, adding that it was "kind of surreal."

Cubs GM Jed Hoyer said the deal will be finished by April 15 and was accomplished with help from president of business operations Crane Kenney and vice president/general counsel Mike Lufrano.

The sides managed to avoid having Commissioner Bud Selig make a decision after Selig had it in his lap for the last month following a three-month stalemate.

Selig released a statement saying he was "pleased" the matter was resolved between the teams.

"It has always been my preference that clubs resolve matters like this amongst themselves, as they understand their unique circumstances better than anyone else could," Selig said. "Though the matter required time, both clubs demonstrated professionalism throughout their discussions, and I appreciate their persistence in finding common ground."

The Red Sox were pleased to get Carpenter, 26, a hard-throwing right-hander with a 21-19 record and 3.62 ERA in four seasons in the minors. He pitched in 10 games for the Cubs last season with a 2.79 ERA.

Carpenter's name had been mentioned in rumors early on, but so had just about every other prominent prospect in the organization.

"If you're going to pick two teams to play for, why not let it be the Cubs and the Red Sox?" Carpenter said. "Can't complain about that."

Epstein was not in camp Tuesday. He said in a statement he was "relieved" the issue is over with.

"I truly hope and believe that this resolution will help both clubs," he said.

Hoyer gave Carpenter the news before Tuesday's workout, and Epstein left a message by phone.

"Unfortunately we lost a great arm in Chris," manager Dale Sveum said. "Fortunately for him, it came from a team that wanted him really, really, really bad. He's going to fall into some competition over there to make the team, as well as he would've here. He gets to go to a great organization and a great city too. So that's not a bad time to be traded for the first time."

The saga began in October, when Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts sent Kenney to ask the Red Sox for permission to talk with Epstein without discussing possible compensation. The Red Sox eventually asked for stars such as Matt Garza or Starlin Castro, while the Cubs were willing to deal only a nonessential prospect from their depleted farm system.

The teams handed the ball to Selig in late January and submitted written briefs to his office in early February before a solution was reached.

Hoyer said the reason the transaction had to be a player trade, instead of a straight Epstein-for-Carpenter swap, was "procedural." When the White Sox agreed to let manager Ozzie Guillen out of his contract to go to Miami, they also sent a prospect to the Marlins and received two in return.

There isn't much precedent for compensation for a team president. When the Twins let the Cubs sign Andy MacPhail as general manager, the Cubs sent Class A pitcher Hector Trinidad to Minnesota in return. Trinidad never made it to the majors.

The compensation to the Padres for Hoyer is next on tap. Hoyer said it likely would be done before the end of spring and won't involve anyone on the 40-man roster.